Looking Back on Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s Most Memorable Moments at UCLA

Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s time in Westwood is over.

The senior declared for the NBA Draft on April 6, marking an end to his career with UCLA men's basketball. Over the course of his four years with the Bruins, Jaquez helped coach Mick Cronin bring the program back into the national spotlight.

Tyger Campbell, David Singleton, Johnny Juzang and others played major parts in that as well, but Jaquez's gritty play style and steady growth typified the path of UCLA basketball under Cronin. The Bruins went 98-36 with Jaquez on the court, and he climbed all the way up to No. 8 on the team's all-time scoring list.

So with his collegiate career all wrapped up, it's time to take a look back at Jaquez's best moments in blue and gold.

Regular season vs. Chaminade - Nov. 26, 2019

Through his first six games at UCLA, Jaquez played 11 minutes per game and scored a total of 10 points with eight rebounds.

Midway through the Maui Invitational, Cronin shook up his lineup against Chaminade, sending Jaquez out for 30 minutes. Jaquez made the most of that playing time, putting up 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for the Bruins in a much-needed win.

It was a coming out party for Jaquez, who would go on to do much bigger and better things than stuff the stat sheet against a Division II school. Jaquez would have found his way into the starting lineup sooner or later, but without this performance, things may not have gone the way they did.

Regular Season vs. Arizona State - Feb. 27, 2020

The beginning of Jaquez's first season in Westwood was messy.

A 4-9 stretch had the Bruins sitting below .500 in mid-January. Losses to Hofstra and Cal State Fullerton made that record look even worse.

From there, though, UCLA won 9 of 11 to turn things around heading into their final homestand of the season. Arizona State – the only team to beat the Bruins in February – was next up on the slate.

Jake Kyman actually led UCLA in points that night with 21, but Jaquez sat for just one minute all night.

With the score tied 72-72 and time running down, Jaquez received a pass from Campbell, then pulled up for a deep contested 3 on the left wing. The shot fell with 0.6 seconds left, and the Bruins held on to win.

It was Jaquez's first game-winner, and it was his first massive moment in front of a packed Pauley Pavilion. He would play in front of many more sold out crowds over the next three years, but this was the time they first fully embraced him.

Jaquez only scored 13 points that night in Westwood, but the last three counted more than most.

First Four vs. Michigan State - March 18, 2021

March Madness was canceled Jaquez's freshman year, meaning his first NCAA tournament action didn't come until he was a sophomore.

Because the Bruins had such a shaky end to the season, UCLA didn't earn a guaranteed spot in the round of 64. They had to face Tom Izzo and the Spartans in the play-in game as a result, setting up a battle of titans that seemed more likely to be a Final Four matchup than a First Four showdown.

Jaquez didn't go to the bench once in the first half, and he led UCLA with 13 points at the break. Still, the Bruins trailed by 11.

UCLA slowly chipped the deficit down to three with a minute left, and it was Jaquez who finished a game-tying and-1 with 28 seconds left. From there, the Bruins stole the win in overtime, setting up a miracle run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

Jaquez, Juzang, Singlelton and Jules Bernard rotated having big games throughout that tournament, but without Jaquez's 27 points and clutch and-1 against Michigan State, none of the other standout performances would have happened.

Regular Season vs. Washington - Feb. 28, 2022

Jaquez's junior year was partially defined by his constant ankle injuries, limiting his playing time in some games and changing his play style in others.

"Old Man Jaime" had shown up at different times throughout the season as a result, but this was when his on-court alter ego hit his peak.

Jaquez scored a career-high 30 points in the road game against the Huskies, also reeling in nine rebounds. The Camarillo, California, native shot 11-for-17 from the field – including 10-15 from 2 – in addition to a 7-for-10 mark from the free throw line.

The up-and-unders, pump fakes and post fades were falling at an elite rate, and Jaquez's feet barely had to leave the ground for him to cook defenders.

The stakes weren't as high in this penultimate regular season contest as they were in some of Jaquez's other outings, but it was yet another reminder that he could still be one of the Pac-12's most dangerous players even operating at less than 100%.

Regular Season vs. Arizona - March 4, 2023

In his final showing at Pauley Pavilion, Jaquez powered the Bruins to a season-defining win.

The Pac-12 regular season title had already been locked up, but UCLA still needed a win over its biggest conference rival to prove it could beat some of the best teams in the nation. Arizona went up by double digits early, putting that key result in jeopardy.

Jaquez only scored six points on 3-for-9 shooting in the first half. But when he came out of the locker room for the final 20 minutes, Jaquez joined forces with Campbell to right the ship on Senior Night.

Of UCLA's final 24 points, the senior duo combined for 20 of them. Jaquez scored 16 points in the second half that night, using an array of and-1s and slam dunks to keep the Bruins' offense humming en route to victory.

It also proved to be the difference in the race for Pac-12 Player of the Year, as Jaquez bested Azuolas Tubelis for the award after beating him head-to-head.

Jaquez started the night by holding his jersey up high, soaking in the tribute to his career by the team and its fans. He ended the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, and a big win over a big rival.

Sweet 16 vs. Gonzaga - March 23, 2023

Jaquez's final showing in blue and gold ended in defeat, but not for a lack of trying on his or his teammates' parts.

UCLA was well on its way to avenging the 2021 Final Four loss, leading Gonzaga by double digits at halftime. A 20-3 run turned the tables, though, and the Bulldogs suddenly had control thanks to an 11-minute stretch without a Bruin field goal.

With 1:14 and his team down by nine points, Jaquez used his signature pump fake to score a critical and-1. Another and-1 cut the gap down to three points, and a layup with 33 seconds left had UCLA down just two.

Amari Bailey's 3-pointer on the next possession seemed to give the Bruins the win, only for Julian Strawther's logo triple to flip the script.

Jaquez's season-high 29 points weren't enough to get UCLA over the hump and back to the Elite Eight. However, fans still applauded him for his near-heroic efforts, knowing it was likely the end of his time with the program.

Whether his number is retired or if he winds up in the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame ten years down the line remains to be determined, but his contributions will be celebrated for years to come regardless.

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